Sally Rippey, left, a member of the National Philanthropy Day steering committee, congratulates Lifetime Achievement award recipient Marilyn VanDerbur Atler.

“It’s amazing how the little things you do can change the course of someone’s life.”

Curt Richardson, founder and chief executive officer of OtterBox, the Fort Colllins-based maker of waterproof cases for iPhones, iPads, tablets and other high-tech devices, may have been the one who said that, but it’s probably safe to say that everyone who accepted an award at the 2011 National Philanthropy Day in Colorado Luncheon had reached the same conclusion at one point or another.

LaFawn Biddle, whose 50 years of charitable giving earned her the title of Outstanding Philanthropist, would certainly agree. So, too, would Susan Lane, who dedicated her Outstanding Volunteer award to “all who give their time on behalf of people with disabilities.” Ditto for Bill Winn, the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser, who took one look at the success The Haven had with turning around the lives of severely addicted women that he accepted the challenge of raising $3 million to expand its services.

OtterBox was named Outstanding Small Business or Corporation; Richardson and his wife, Nancy, president of the OtterCare Foundation, accepted the award from master of ceremonies John Ferrugia at a luncheon that brought 970 people to the Hyatt Regency Convention Center. The event was chaired by Maureen McDonald and Christy Newhof.

Other awards went to Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Outstanding Large Business or Corporation; the Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation, Outstanding Foundation; Bob Cooper, chief executive officer at Tennyson Center for Children, Outstanding Professional in Philanthropy/Fundraising; Terri Konrad, manager of community grants for the Denver Foundation, Outstanding Professional in Philanthropy/Grantmaking; Zonta Club of Denver, Outstanding Service Organization; the Lafayette Youth Advisory Committee, Outstanding Youth Group; Gage Crispe, Outstanding Youth; and Marilyn VanDerbur Atler, Lifetime Achievement.

A 55-member selection committee whose members included Gloria Rubio-Cortes of the National Civic League, Doris Kester of the Southern Colorado Community Foundation, John Wright of the Asian Chamber of Commerce and Olga Garcia of Colorado Academy chose the winners.

Study after study has shown that when it comes to charitable fundraisers, Denver has more per capita than any comparably sized city in the nation. Joanne Davidson has been covering them for The Denver Post since 1985, coming here from her native California where she'd spent the previous seven years as San Francisco bureau chief for U.S. News & World Report magazine.